FLORA MOMENTUM - Art, AI and the city

FLORA MOMENTUM – When art heals urban space
How an AI-generated plant world is transforming Stephanplatz – and why the ato collective is using it at the InnovationFestival @karlsruhe.digital.

Art meets the city – FLORA MOMENTUM in Karlsruhe

In the heart of Karlsruhe, directly on Stephanplatz, a place has been created that poetically dissolves the boundaries between nature, technology and urban life: the interdisciplinary art installation FLORA MOMENTUM by Hannah Cooke, Jannik Lang and Norina Quinte transforms a formerly unused passageway into an oasis for reflection, encounters and relaxation – and makes it clear how profoundly art can change urban space.

Postbotanical visions: Medicinal plants from AI

At the heart of FLORA MOMENTUM are so-called “post-botanical growths” – futuristic medicinal plants generated by artificial intelligence. They are based on well-known herbs such as turmeric, ginkgo or garlic and are reminiscent of both floral and organic structures. Captured in lenticular prints, the visual worlds change depending on the angle of view – a subtle interplay of perception, movement and imagination that invites passers-by to engage with new perspectives. The effect is as visually stimulating as it is intellectually challenging.

AI-generated medicinal plant illustration on pink installation element in the Karlsruhe urban space — Close-up of a pink installation element with a surreal, AI-generated medicinal plant. The lenticular image changes depending on the viewing angle – part of the overall artistic concept on Stephanplatz in Karlsruhe. Photo: Sebastian Heck

A public space becomes a platform

The design is complemented by sculptural seating and standing furniture by Jannik Lang, which blends seamlessly into the architecture of the square, creating a space that goes beyond classic street furniture and opens up as an experiential space. A place that is not only effective through its function, but above all through its atmosphere.

FLORA MOMENTUM not only intervenes creatively in public space – the installation poses questions: about the future of healing in a technologized world. About the relationship between man and nature. And about the significance of the city as a place of community. In cooperation with the urban project “City-Transformation” and funded by the federal program “Sustainable inner cities and centers”, Stephanplatz was not only reactivated – its function was expanded: from a transit space to a lounge, from a square to a platform.

Pink street furniture by FLORA MOMENTUM with digital plant image, passers-by and cyclists in front of pharmacy — The art installation transforms the urban space between architecture, everyday pharmacy life and encounters. The FLORA MOMENTUM installation is organically integrated into everyday urban life: in front of the Karl-Apotheke pharmacy, sculptural seating and AI-generated plant images invite you to linger and marvel – a public work of art with added value. Photo: Sebastian Heck

ato – Artistic intelligence as a method

Behind the realization is ato – a collective of artists, designers, architects and creative experts that operates at the intersection of art and society with a radical approach. Originally founded as a gallery and online platform, ato has long since developed into a think tank that brings “artistic intelligence” to areas outside its field of expertise – from urban development and management consultancy to science communication.

Karlsruhe is proving to be an ideal breeding ground for such projects. After all, the city is a place of synergies: A lively art scene and a distinctive technological infrastructure come together here. This special combination creates potential for genuine interactions between artistic and scientific practice. And while science strives for objective, reproducible knowledge, art seeks sensual, often subjective experience. Only together do they open up a complete picture of reality – with new scope for action for society and urban development.

“For the benefit of sustainable structural change, it is essential to integrate art as an independent expertise in non-specialist areas – especially in the age of artificial intelligence, art plays a decisive role as an equal pillar of critical reflection,” emphasizes Norina Quinte, curator and co-founder of ato.

Pink installation with pink AI plant image and people on pink street furniture on Stephanplatz — The color-intensive installation stages AI interpretations of medicinal plants and at the same time creates a social quality of stay. Visible in the picture: visitors sitting and interacting on the street furniture. Photo: Sebastian Heck

Highlight: Appearance at the InnovationFestival @karlsruhe.digital

Ato’s participation in this year’s InnovationFestival @karlsruhe.digital on October 17 at the ZKM Karlsruhe shows that this perspective is also attracting attention beyond the region. In a keynote speech, ato will present its own understanding of artistic intelligence in the context of digital transformation – once again demonstrating that innovation and art are not mutually exclusive, but mutually inspiring.

At a time when cities need to reinvent themselves, FLORA MOMENTUM is a powerful plea for urban design that is not only functional, but also sensual, social and poetic. Art can heal – not only the individual, but also our idea of public space.

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Photos: Sebastian Heck